Vacation Mavens Travel Podcast

This week, Kim and Tamara chat about one of the United States' prettiest white sand beaches (that most people don't know about!) Find out why the Alabama beaches should be on your family vacation radar. ON THE PODCAST 00:33 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about white sand beaches in Alabama 02:07 - Towns along the coast 03:57 - Differences between the two beaches 08:06 - Adventurous experiences 11:3...

You can call it the City by the Bay, Fog City, SF, San Fran...just don't call it Frisco. This week we are chatting with Leslie Harvey from Trips with Tykes to get her best tips for exploring San Francisco with kids. ON THE PODCAST 032: Chatting with Tamara from Nashville 055: Nashville food tour 2:50 Nashville food scene 7:00 Grand Ole Opry 9:41 Union Station Hotel 12:01 Welcoming back Leslie Harv...

This week, Eric Stoen from Travel Babbo chats with us about Orlando's hottest new attractions, Universal Orlando Resort's new Volcano Bay waterpark. We get into the details on what to expect when you go, our favorite rides and food, and where you should stay. ON THE PODCAST 00:32 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about waterparks 13:17 - Eric Stoen from Travel Babbo 16:35 - Universal Orlando BlogSquad...

We recently did a podcast talking about some of our favorite Walt Disney World hotels , but today we dig deeper into the accommodation options at Disney through the Disney Vacation Club. Our friend Amber from Global Munchkins joins us to share her best Disney Vacation Club tips and how to use DVC points to fund family travel.  ON THE PODCAST 00:32 - Talking with Kim about her OARS trip 03:50 - Kim...

This week, Kim and Tamara catch up on their summer travels so far including Tamara's couple getaway to the Eden Roc resort in the Dominican Republic and Kim's trip to Colorado. ON THE PODCAST 00:30 - Talking with Kim and Tamara 01:20 - Tamara's relaxing getaway to the Dominican Republic 09:10 - Kim's Colorado travels 16:50 - Hiking adventures 24:00 - Transportation to trails in Rocky Mountain Nati...

Atlanta is home to such family-friendly attractions as the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca Cola, and Olympic Park, but there is so much more to see and do in Atlanta. Join us as we talk to Lesli Peterson from 365 Atlanta Family to get her best Atlanta travel tips. ON THE PODCAST 00:31 - Talking with Kim about her recent road trip 09:23 - Talking with Lesli about Atlanta 13:57 - Must dos in Atlanta...

A few years ago, it looked like the Internet had taken over when it came to booking travel and there was no longer a need for a travel agent. That isn't true today, and it isn't true when it comes to family travel. Today, there is more information on the Internet than you know what to do with and no one likes taking chances when it comes to traveling with kids. For that reason, the role of the tru...

With so many accommodation options at Walt Disney World -- from value, moderate and deluxe to villas and off-site hotels and vacation rentals -- making a choice can be overwhelming. This week we chat with Kelly Stilwell, one of our Disney experts, to get her take on the best places to stay in Disney.   ON THE PODCAST 00:30 - Talking with Tamara about Orlando theme parks 05:30 - Universal Orlando R...

If you want to teach your kids some early American history, there is no better place to start than the birthplace of the American Revolution...Boston. But there is so much more to do on a visit to Beantown and this week we interview local Leah Klein to get her tips on visiting Boston with kids. ON THE PODCAST 00:39 - Talking with Tamara about Boston 03:15 - Boston CityPASS 05:30 - Favorite things...

As everyone gets ready to head out on their summer vacations, we are sharing our top packing tips for family travel. ON THE PODCAST 00:35 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about packing 04:06 - Packing by outfits or not 07:03 - Top packing tips 09:30 - Rolling your clothes for your suitcase 14:38 - Buying new clothes for a trip 16:39 - Shoes when packing 20:30 - Tamara's travel packing experiences 25:...

Planning a visit to the Emerald City? Local outdoor enthusiast and mom Kate Spiller from WildTalesOf.com shares her tips and ideas for visiting Seattle with kids. ON THE PODCAST 00:32 - Talking with Kim about Seattle 10:38 - Talking with Kate about Seattle 13:12 - How long to stay in Seattle 14:22 - Must dos for families 21:00 - Taking the monorail 21:43 - Outdoor activities 23:46 - Favorite hotel...

Costa Rica is an amazing place for a family vacation! You have beaches, rainforest, volcano, wildlife and tons of adventure! This week, we get tips for visiting Costa Rica with kids from Lonely Planet guidebook author Mara Vorhees. Plus, we are giving away two Lonely Planet Kids books -- tune in to learn how to enter!   ON THE PODCAST 00:35 - Talking with Kim and Tamara about languages 03:45 - Lon...

Staying in a vacation rental instead of a hotel can save a lot of money on a family vacation. But it takes some experience on what to look for in a vacation rental to make sure your "deal" is worth the savings. This week we chat with Jen Reyneri, experienced renter and property owner, to get her best vacation rental tips. ON THE PODCAST 00:31 - Talking with Tamara about her previous vacation renta...

We aren't the only ones dreaming about a family vacation in Tuscany, right? This week we are chatting with Linda from Ciao Bambino, who not only lives in Tuscany with her family, she also plans trips for other families visiting Italy. ON THE PODCAST 00:33 - Talking with Kim about her recent trip to Florida 11:03 - Talking with Linda about Italy 15:12 - How long to spend in Tuscany 18:50 - Differen...

One of the trickiest things about planning a Hawaiian vacation is picking an island! This week, we chat with Mary Solio from The World is a Book about her favorite islands and give our tips for visiting Maui, Oahu, and The Big Island. ON THE PODCAST 00:31 - Kim and Tamara talking about Maui 13:25 - Talking with Mary about Hawaii 16:56 - Where to stay on the Big Island 18:34 - Mary's favorite thing...

NYC is a classic family travel trip. This week we talk about our top tips for visiting New York City with kids with travel expert Carol Cain from Girl Gone Travel, including where to stay, what to do and how to plan your trip. ON THE PODCAST 00:34 - Tamara and Kim talking about NYC 05:40 - Tamara's tips on visiting NYC 10:10 - Talking with Carol about NYC 14:40 - Favorite neighborhoods to visit 17...

Planning a trip to Disney World can be so overwhelming! Where to stay, how to make the most of your FastPasses, whether or not the dining plan is worth it, and how to book advance dining reservations. This week we chat with Karyn Locke from Sand and Snow to get her top Walt Disney World tips. ON THE PODCAST 00:25 - Talking with Kim about Idaho 08:36 - About Karyn Locke 11:08 - When to go to Disney...

What is wellness travel? It means something different to everyone but this week Elena Sonnino joins us to share not only some of her favorite wellness retreats, but also how to bring wellness travel into all your trips. ON THE PODCAST 00:25 - What Tamara and Kim Think about Wellness Travel 11:56 - Talking with Elena 13:20 - Difference between a vacation and a trip 19:26 - Taking a wellness trip fo...

Washington D.C. is a great spot for a family vacation -- what other city has so many FREE family attractions and museums?! This week we chat with Tina Smith from Do DC with Kids to get the insider scoop on what to do off-the-beaten path in Washington D.C. with kids. ON THE PODCAST 00:32 - Tamara's recent trip to Austria 14:15 - About Tina Smith 18:00 - How long to stay in DC 20:30 - Monuments to s...

We can't believe it has been a year already! As we hit our 50th episode milestone we wanted to answer some listener questions and reflect back on the last year. Thank you to all our listeners for supporting us, spreading the word, and providing feedback. We are excited about the recent growth in downloads and look forward to more helpful episodes in 2017! ON THE PODCAST 00:37- Tamara's trip to Mai...

With a tagline like "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas," Las Vegas doesn't strike you as the most kid-friendly place. Yet there is so much to do in Vegas with kids...and some of it is even free! Meagan from Mommy Travels joins us this week to share her tips for visiting Vegas with kids. ON THE PODCAST :34 Kim is just back from Hawaii 3:03 Hawaiian Airlines 5:02 Hawaiian food 5:20 Hawaii hotels...

Barcelona is a great city to visit with kids and Nancy from Enchanting Barcelona Tours shares her favorite spots and tips on visiting Barcelona with kids on this week's podcast episode.   ON THE PODCAST 00:30 - Kim and Tamara chat about Kim's trip to California 16:25 - About Nancy Daum Dailey 18:20 - Tips for families traveling in Barcelona 18:40 - Barcelona vs. Madrid 20:28 - Spanish in Barcelona...

When you have a family, especially a large family, taking vacations can get really expensive. Today we get some tips for using points for family travel from Dan Miller of Points with a Crew. He shares some of the deals he has scored for his family of EIGHT! ON THE PODCAST :35 Tamara is just back from Panama City, Florida for Mardi Gras 10:03 About Dan from Points with a Crew 14:36 Why the Holiday...

Kim is just back from a trip to Disneyland and this week with chat with Carissa Houston from All Day Mom, who visits Disneyland nearly every month, and get their tips for planning a trip to Disneyland.   ON THE PODCAST 00:38 - Kim's recent trip to Disneyland 02:06 - Tips for using the Disney Magical Express 05:35 - Disneyland Hotels 07:46 - Parks that Kim visited 13:33 - About Carissa Houston 15:2...

Japan is one of those places that has been on the top of our bucket lists for a while. Today, we chat with Jason Jenkins from An Epic Education podcast. Since he used to live there, he has some insider knowledge and info that will make it easy to plan your trip. ON THE PODCAST :35 Tamara is recovering from the flu 1:43 Why you need travel insurance 2:55 New York Times Travel Show 3:53 Family Trave...